The Demon's Assistants
by DementedDemiurge
Summary: Bill Cipher begins to take an interest in the Pine twins. (No shipping)
1. Prologue

Stanford had the books. He had the secrets. He was going to ruin everything.

Bill had worked to secure this universe for himself long ago, before the arrival of its citizens. He had woven himself into to threads of history, hiding everywhere. He was always watching, manipulating humanity. Earth was his toy chest and humans were his playthings. Some suspected that there was a manipulator. Nearly all did, on some subconscious level. The ones who spoke of the things he did, the ones who saw the subtle patterns in his work, were commonly considered gullible, paranoid, or even insane. It was comical to him how stupid most of humanity was.

Take Stanford, for instance. He actually believed that he could go against Bill's wishes. He would not leave the universe that Bill had worked so hard to cultivate. Jumping universes would make the hologram wiggle and blur. The illusion would be ruined, the board would be flipped, and the game would be over.

He couldn't allow that.

But Stan's interference presented Bill with a unique opportunity. He had a chance to test the Pine twins. They had the potential to be useful to him, a pair of allies to aid him in his work.

They were perfect for this mission. They were close to Stan, so the chance that he would harm them was smaller. The handyman could have been useful, but he just wasn't close enough.

Question Mark had been useful in his own way, though. After Bill had imitated Soos and stole the memory, he decided to look into the fat man's mind on a whim. It was through Soos's eyes that Bill saw Dipper's sudden unwillingness to help Stan.

Bill had watched Dipper attentively since the battle. He had seen everything. He watched as Stan lost the Mystery Shack and Dipper fought to get it back with a gnome army (which, Bill had to admit, was resourceful). He saw Dipper jump off a cliff to save his sister.

The boy was brave, resourceful, and clever, but he was also fickle, easily influenced by his emotions, and prone to bouts of apathy and hopelessness.

Mabel, on the other hand, was almost perpetually bright and optimistic. She was assertive, creative, gutsy, caring, and a sort of silly that was difficult to argue with. However, silliness can get you into trouble, and too much optimism can lead to overconfidence. Without each other, the twins would be unbalanced. They worked together without consciously realizing it.

Now all he had to do was get them to work with him.


	2. Chapter One: A Visit

"Alright kids. You got to finish the movie. Now get to bed."

"But the credits are still playing! The movie isn't over."

"It said The End. Now go to bed."

"Awwwww-"

"I said GO!'

"Okay, okay! We're going!"

The twins pulled themselves up from the carpet and thundered up the wooden stairs, headed towards the attic.

"Hey, Dipper!"

"What?"

"Race you! First one to their pillow wins!"

"You're on!"

The pounding became even louder as the twins sprinted up the stairs, laughing. Mabel was in the lead, with Dipper following close behind. Mabel took the last six stairs two at a time and reached the landing first. But she stumbled on a loose floorboard, giving Dipper time to race ahead. Mabel raced forward again as her brother crossed the threshold of their room. He tried to stop herself before she reached the doorway, but it was too late. Unable to stop, she slid forward and disappeared.

Dipper was ejected onto his bed a moment later. Still running, he promptly collided with the wall, his head bouncing off with an audible crack. Mabel went sliding across the floor before falling forward onto her bed.

"Ow!" Dipper gasped as his head throbbed painfully, a 2/4 beat of pain in his skull. "What happen-AH!" Dipper jumped a few inches in the air at the sight of Bill Cipher floating a meter away.

"Hey there, Pine Tree, Shooting Star! Long time no see!" Bill lowered his voice slightly. "You really shouldn't do that, Pine Tree. Your brain could be affected. It would be a shame to see such a sharp mind go to waste.'

"Bill!?"

"Aww, you both said my name at the same time! How sweet! Did you miss me?"

"What are you doing here?"

"I came to retrieve you two, of course! Why else would I be here? I can't exactly summon you, now can I?"

"But why-"

"Hush, Shooting Star. All will be revealed in good time. Very soon, in sit down and listen."

" Why should we listen to you?" Dipper was instantly on the defensive.

" I saved your lives! You owe me!"

" You nearly killed us!"

" But I didn't kill you. Now sit down."

Dipper crossed his arms. "Yeah? Well, what if we don't want to?" Bill's eye narrowed. He floated forward until he was inches away from Dipper's face. Dipper stared back defiantly, still wincing slightly each time his head throbbed. Bill took note of this.

The pain in Dipper's head suddenly spiked, sending him reeling back, hands over his temples. There was a high pitched squeal and his vision went white. Dimly he heard Mabel shout his name, then a short thud. The pain was worse than anything he had ever experienced. It was worse than the time had fallen off into the gorge while high-fiving himself, worse than the time he had plummeted through the glass eye of Gideon's robot. Dipper collapsed to his knees, unable to stand.

And then it was gone. The pain had disappeared. Even the ghost of the sensation had departed. A small, cool hand was resting on his forehead. Dipper looked up, expecting Mabel. The arm he saw was black and thin.

"Sorry about that, Pine Tree. I didn't want to do that, but you needed to be reminded that you aren't able to fight me. You aren't in Moon's mind anymore. Resisting me is pointless. You're at my mercy out here."

Dipper jerked away from Bill's hand and glared at him with the most anger and hatred he could muster. Bill sighed. "So stubborn." A twinge of the pain returned for a brief moment,, but Dipper refused to react.

"I want you to do something for me."

"No."

"Okay, new rule. The word "no" is now forbidden when speaking to me."

"No."  
Bill quickly sifted through Dipper's mind until he found what he needed.

"You know who else says "no" constantly? A stubborn, bratty toddler who wants his own way all of the time. Toddlers never cooperate, even when it's beneficial to them, because they enjoy being contrarians. You, Dipper, are being a toddler."

Dipper looked at the floor, face burning. He hated being called a child. He was a preteen.

"Oh chin up, Pine Tree! There's still a chance to redeem yourself! All you have to do is prevent your uncle from destroying the universe!"

"What?"

"Remember that odd page in the third journal, Dipper? There are matching pages in journals one and two. When the pages are put together they reveal the secret to activating a machine of incredible power. However, when the machine is used it consumes all of the energy in the universe it resides in, destroying it. Your great uncle wants to use the machine to jump universes. "

"Grunkle Stan wouldn't do that! You're lying!"

"I'm not lying, Shooting Star. Think about it. What's the one thing your "Grunkle" chases after more than anything?"

There was a slight pause before Dipper replied. "Money," he said, "He's..he's always after money."

"And money brings many things. Wealth, security, and leisure, just to name a few. But what your uncle wants is power. He's an ambitious man. So ambitious that he would risk humanity for his own motives."

"Why can't you stop him?"

"I could, but I want to test you two."

"By making us save the universe?!" Mabel was incredulous.

"Yep! Just think of it as an entrance exam!"

"An entrance exam? But we aren't entering anything."

"Sure you are! if everything goes well I take you two on as my assistants!"

"What?"

"What! How! Why! No! You two never shut up! If this keeps up I might not take you two on as my apprentices."

"I thought we were going to be assistants."

"It's somewhere in between."

"What if we fail?"

The question came from Dipper. The scorn had left his face, replaced by seriousness and worry. Bill's single eye leveled with Dipper's pair. " If you fail the universe will be destroyed. Everyone you have ever loved and everything you have ever known will disappear. I'll steal you two away before you cease to be, but your friends and family won't be so lucky. My advice? Don't fail. Now get up. We have to get going."


	3. Chapter Two: The Search

Thanks for all of the reviews, favorites, and follows! This is my first serious fanfiction, so I'm actually surprised (and remarkably pleased) that you enjoy it! It makes me so excited!

I'll be playing around with plot lines for a bit, so the next chapter may be delayed a bit. But for now you get this little chapter nugget! Enjoy!

* * *

It was almost time. Tomorrow night he would jump universes and find infinite power.

He had been preparing carefully, packing the items necessary for his trip. He would become the most powerful being in the world. He would be able to defeat anyone, do anything, and receive anything he desired.

Stan still felt embarrassed that he had let his guard down a few nights ago. If it wasn't for the kids, Cipher could have destroyed him.

The kids...how would he explain this to them? Walk over to them and say, "Hey, I'm not who I seem, I'm leaving the universe, see you later?" That would never go over with them. He would have to leave quickly and quietly, without their knowledge. He would have to be gone before they discover he left. Maybe it would be best to leave now, while the twins are asleep.

He wanted to say goodbye.

Stan crept up the creaky stairs slowly and quietly, not wanting to wake the kids.

He tiptoed across the wooden landing.

The cold door knob rotated under his hand.

It was moving on its own.

The door was suddenly flung open, and a yellow triangle darted forward.

"Got him!" BIll had grown in size. He pinned Stan to the ground. "Get off of me!" Stan struggled for freedom from Bill's grasp. "Somebody help! Kids!"

Dipper emerged from the doorway. "Sorry Grunkle Stan, but we can't let you destroy the universe."

"Destroy the universe?! What are you talking about?"

"If you jump universes you'll tear the fabric of this one!" Bill was orange with barely contained anger. He turned his enormous eye towards Dipper.

"Pine Tree."

"Yes?"

" Go with Shooting Star and get the books."

"I don't know where they are."

Mabel's eyes shone blue-white for a brief moment. "I know where to go!", she cried, rushing towards the stairs. "Come on, Dipper!" She tore down the stairs, Dipper racing to catch up with her.

The vending machine was easy enough. 1-3-5-4 pull. Take a left and rush down the stairs. Composition, pulverize, digestion, fusion. Beep beep, boop bop. Down the elevator, whoah. "Grunkle Stan was hiding this?" Mabel took a sweeping look of the room. "It's huge!"

The laboratory was, indeed, huge. At the far end of the room was an enormous machine with a large, symbol-laden wheel in the center. Smaller, blank wheels lined with blue lights surrounded it. It was humming, warming up in preparation for the jump. Dipper crept closer. He tentatively reached out to touch a wheel.

STOP. Dipper jumped at Bill's voice. He turned around, but the demon was nowhere to be seen. Don't touch it. I'm coming down to destroy it. Just focus on finding the books.

"What about Stan?" Dipper spoke aloud, much to the confusion of Mabel, who was busily pawing through a filing cabinet drawer. Bill's reply was quietly insistent. He's unconscious, but he'll be fine. Just focus on finding the books. You don't have to speak aloud, by the way. You can just think to me.

Dipper continued his search. "Hmm. Maybe they're in a secret wall panel." He ran his hands along the exposed portions of the wall, rapping as he went. He was tugging at bolts in the machines and pulling levers on broken equipment.

"I found them! They're in the desk!" Mabel was holding up two of the journals, her expression triumphant.

"And to think, I was looking for secret panels! Stupid, stupid, stupid!" Dipper pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Good work, Shooting Star!" Bill had arrived. " I knew I could trust you two! You might want to hurry out of here, though. I'm going to blow this machine up!" Bill was happy and animated, speaking quickly.

Dipper grabbed the last book. The twins sprinted for the elevator. They had barely cleared the vending machine before an eardrum-tearing crash reverberated throughout the entire house. The machine was destroyed.

Bill Cipher glided up the stairs, slapping his hands together as if he were removing dust. "Alright, you passed, kiddos. I just have one more thing to attend to. And with that, Bill disappeared.

"Hey, where'd he-" Snap. With a pair of soft sighs, the twins tipped backwards into the demons arms, asleep.

The twins were sleeping soundly, sharing a simple dream about exploring the forest. Bill had laid them out in Stan's wide recliner, where the seat was wide enough to accommodate the two of them comfortably.

Bill rose and darkened into a shadow. He silently slipped into Dipper's mind.

He only needed to mark their minds. It was a precaution, a warning to other entities that the twins belonged to him. The marks would show that the two were under his protection. Harming them or trying to take them would incur his wrath. A pair of humans such as these were rare, and considered valuable to certain groups. He wanted them for himself.

Dipper's mind was an airy, cool pine forest. The trees were well spaced and took on a bluish tinge in the twilight. Carvings moved, the bark splitting open and healing back up in rapid succession as they animated his memories. Bill quickly located a clearing. A large boulder sat in the center, dominating the area. Bill etched his likeness into the side. That should do the trick. He slipped out of the forest in the same silence he entered in .

Mabel's mind was a bright, swirling nebula floating in space, alive with color. Young stars blinked brightly in the rainbow of gases. Her memories formed in bright neons, forming and dissolving at a leisurely pace. Bill thought awhile, then waved his hand. His image was outlined in stars, like diamonds studded onto the black velvet of space.

He resurfaced in the outside world. The twins slept on. It was late after all, nearly midnight. They needed their sleep. He touched his small, thin hands to their collarbones, blue fire spreading from his fingertips, before teleporting them into their beds and departing for the forest.

* * *

20-1-20-20-15-15


End file.
